Replace a neon bulb with white LEDs in a Mickey Mouse nightlight |
The current is about 2.5ma, and the resistor is running around 1/3 watt. I cut a segment of the board that has a pair of LEDs mounted, one on each side of the board. These LEDs spread their light pretty evenly, not directional like most LEDs do. The board segment acts as a small heat sink, and I didn't unmount the LEDs off the board. I'm not running the LEDs all that hard, afterall. Each LED is lit a little less than half the time over a cycle of 60Hz. And each LED only sees a backwards 2.5V or so, as the other LED conducts and limits that backwards voltage the first LED sees. Each LED flickers at a 60Hz rate, but as each LED's flicker is interlaced with the other's flicker, the overall flicker rate is 120Hz. Each LED is operating around 2.5mW on average, 2.5V times 2.4ma, and each LED is on about 40% of the time..
The above picture shows the internal circuit, the LEDs and resistor. You have to keep this circuit narrow enough to fit thru Mickey's neck. That dictates the circuit board cutting as marked in the above middle picture. The circuit needs to place the LEDs high enough but not too high to evenly illuminate Mickey front and back.
People were asking about the type of outlet Mickey above was plugged into. It's a 120V 15A AC duples Despard 2 prong.
Dates back to the early 1950s.